Interview Techniques

General hints & guidelines

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1054 Budapest
Szabadság tér 7.
Tel: 36-1-501-2400
 4. Research the job - before attending any interview it is a good idea
to research the organisation and familiarise yourself with the following:

►Size of organisation, number of employees.

►History, how long have they been operating – do they have any
affiliated organisations or belong to an umbrella group?

►General information about their services/products/aims etc.

►Major competitors or other organisations operating in the same field.

►Job description – understand the skills required for the position.

Careers Advice: Interview techniques

1. Think about yourself - it is important before an interview to think about all Also:
the reasons why you are attending it and what you have to offer the Try to form a sense of the relationship between the open position and
organisation. Be ready to discuss both short and long term career goals in other members of staff - have a sense for the department.
general terms.
Have some well thought-out questions that would help further
2. Gaps in CV - you will also need to explain gaps in employment. If you
your understanding of the organisation.
worked in a temporary capacity but didn’t put it on your CV, know the details
of which companies you worked with, what you did for them and the length of
►How will the organisation be affected by the new legislation on xyz…
the assignments. If you did not work but did search for a job give some
examples of the research you did regarding job opportunities and the
►How do you see the organisation developing over the next year/three years?
process you went through to find the position.

Make sure you pass any feedback to your consultant about how you thought
3. Reasons for leaving - prepare to discuss the reasons you left your
the interview went and tell us whether you would be interested in the job if it
previous jobs. If it was for a better opportunity, explain how it was an
were to be offered to you.
opportunity. If you left involuntarily, present the reason in the most positive
light you can. Make sure your responses are honest and be positive.
What is the employer looking for? ►Can you work well with a variety of people?

Employers use interviews to confirm that an applicant has the required

►What would you do to help a team of people work together better?
knowledge, skills and willingness to contribute and fit into the organisation’s
culture. They also want to see if your career goals are in line with opportunities
available with their organisation. They are looking for the potential in
Hiring managers need to know what drives you to want the job and
prospective employees and consultants to become valued, trusted, productive
why you want to work for their particular organisation.
team members of their organisation.

►Can you manage your time effectively?

You must try to consider how you can display your skills and experience in a
good and honest light and provide employers with the evidence that you are
►How do you structure your day’s work?
the right person for the job.

►How do you plan your day and week?

Here are some brief points to consider:

►How did you handle sudden unplanned work or crisis?

►Are you a self-starter, able to work without constant supervision?

►Can you handle constructive criticism in a productive manner?

►Can you be depended upon in critical situations and follow
work through to completion?
►Are you objective in evaluating yourself and others?

►Are you enthusiastic and easy to work with?

Points to consider throughout
►Can you work under pressure?
the interview
Hiring managers look for an objective analysis of your abilities. Be prepared with answers to the traditional interview questions. Rehearse

For strengths, they want to know why you think it is a strength and where it your answers with a friend who will give you honest feedback about the

has been demonstrated. For weaknesses they want to know what steps you content of your answer and body language.

could take to improve.

►Aim for clarity, brevity and above all, honesty. Give honest answers

You will rarely be working alone so being able to work as part of a team is one with a positive tone.

of the most valuable skills you can have.

►Concentrate on the employer’s needs, not yours. Types Of Interview
►Emphasise how you can help the organisation achieve its goals. There are several different types or styles of interview that you may come
across amongst our clients. It is important that to remember that no two

►Describe your past responsibilities and accomplishments. interviews are the same and that you can always improve you interview style
and preparation.

►Explain why you approached projects in a certain ways.

Below you will find some general hints and tips on the most common and

►Explain how the skills you bring will benefit the organisation. frequently used interview techniques that you are likely to encounter:

►Don’t downplay your accomplishments or attribute them to luck.
►Be specific in your answers. Avoid rambling or getting off on a tangent.
►Ask for clarification if you are unsure of the question.
Ask the employer if they think it would be helpful to add information about
skills or experiences that you believe are relevant but which have not been
covered during the interview.
The traditional interview
Sometimes interviews follow a more traditional format (quite common with
people who are not used to interviewing). The following is a list of typical
interview questions that may arise in one form or another. It is a good idea to
reflect on the sort of answer you might give before an interview but it is unwise
to learn answers off pat as you risk coming across as unnatural and not
genuine. It is also a good idea to back your answers up with examples taken
from your own work experience.

sample questions:
Take responsibility for communicating your strengths. Don’t rely on the ■How did you progress in
■What did you do on a day to
interviewer to pull it out of you. Consider the types of skills and characteristics your last job?
day basis?
you think the employer needs in the applicant to be successful in the job, e.g. ■How do you
■What do you not like about the
attention to detail, diplomacy, leadership, persistence, problem solving and handle criticism?
job? ■How did you make a
planning, stress management, team building, technical etc. ■How do you work with
difference to your last organisation?
others?
■How successful are you? ■What
Once you have determined what you think the employer will be looking for, ■Do you need other
was your greatest success and
write out examples of situations that showed your skills in those areas. Explain how did you achieve it? people around to stimulate

your past successes. The more clearly you can describe the experience, the ■What has been your biggest failure? you? ■Are you accepted

more you’ll stand out in the interviewer’s mind. into a team quickly?
■How could you improve yourself?
■Give me an example of when ■Why do you want this job?
Sometimes, each person on the interview asks a different lot of questions. Other
you ■took initiative to solve a ■What qualities do you think
times, they all ask the same thing. This can happen by design, if the
problem? ■What motivates you? this job requires?
organisation wants to see whether you change your answers along the way.
■Are you competitive? ■Why do you want to work for this
■What problems did you encounter organisation? Hints:
and how did you overcome them? ■What have you got to contribute?
You will need to be sure to connect with Take responsibility for ensuring that the
■Do you feel you are ready to take ■What can we offer you that your each person. Be sure to have eye contact group understands what you have to offer.
on greater responsibilities? previous organisation cannot with the person asking the questions and to The best approach is to be sensitive and
glance at the other team members while adapt your approach to the group. Don’t
■What are you like under pressure? offer? ■How long have you been
answering the question to be sure that you be overly aggressive and take over, yet do
■How many hours are you looking for a new job? are connecting with each individual. interact and show your enthusiasm.
prepared to work? ■What do you know about
Be sensitive to the dynamics in the team. If Each person’s opinion can be weighted
■What are your career goals? this organisation?
they seem to want to control the interview, equally; in some cases, just one team
■How did you get on with your ■What interests you about relax and flow with it, on the other hand be member’s opposition can disqualify a
last manager/colleagues? this organisation? sure to offer information and ask candidate. Sometimes it is unclear what
questions. role or position the person holds therefore
■Do you prefer to work in a small, ■What are you looking for in a
you need to be respectful of everyone you
medium or large organisation? new job? meet.
■What would be your ideal job? ■What sorts of jobs are you
considering at the moment? The behavioural interview – some tips
The interviewer asks specific questions seeking information about a candidate’s
skills, character and preferences based on examples of past behaviour. During the
The team interview - how to cope with them
Behavioural interview, questions are directed toward specific experiences.
In an effort to get a well-rounded perspective on job candidates, many
companies ask numerous people to participate in the selection process.
Some examples:
Depending on the level of job you are seeking, you may interview with an
"Tell me about a time when you had "Describe a high-pressure situation you
HR specialist, the hiring manager, the hiring manager’s boss and even staff to deal with a difficult person at a had to handle at work. Tell me what
work.“ happened, who was involved and what
members who would be your peers.
you did in terms of problem solving.“
"What proactive steps have you taken
In small companies you may have to sell yourself to the entire staff. This team to make your workplace more efficient "Some situations require us to express
and productive? Specifically describe ideas or opinions in a tactful way. Tell
approach means that many different people interview you and then get a policy, project or system you me about a time when you were
created or initiated.“ successful in this type of situation."
together to debate whether they like you well enough to hire you.
The key in behavioural interviewing is to paint a picture of the reasons and
A word about Equal Opportunities
thinking about the decision or behaviour without bringing in unessential
details. It is expected that forming an answer will take time. Think your
Discrimination on the basis of race, marital status, colour, sex, religion,
examples through.
national origin or disability is not legal. Although very rare, it is possible that
you may be faced with a question that is discriminatory particularly from
Be aware of the tendency to become too relaxed and reveal information that
inexperienced interviewers.
you didn’t intend to share. You need to do your part to foster the
conversational tone, but don’t become so relaxed that you start straying
In these situations the best thing to do is to address the bias behind the
from the point.
question without confronting the interviewer, for example:

Be friendly, stay professional!

Are you planning to start a family? -Are you asking if I am able to
work overtime?
-Are you asking if I would have
Questions From You
commitment to this position?
Try to think of some questions to ask at interview. If you have researched the How old are you? - Are you asking how many years
company well, you should be able to come up with plenty of questions. You may of experience I have?
also like to find out more about your responsibilities in the role, the organisation’s Are you married? - Are you asking if I am able to
long and short-term aims, training opportunities, overall organisational structure work overtime?
and what they would hope you achieve in the first six
months. If you are concerned that the interview you attended was discriminatory,
please do not hesitate to contact your consultant and be prepared to
Other things to remember: discuss your thoughts and experiences.
►Find out what happens next with the interview process and express
your interest (if it is genuine!)
►You may consider writing a letter to thank the interviewer for their time
and to express your interest again. Good luck!
►Let your consultant know your feedback as soon as possible. It is important for

us to know what you thought of the organisation, the role, the people who

interviewed you and your impression of how you performed in the interview.